“Tired.”
“You can’t sleep. Not yet.”
A little whimper escaped her at that.
“Soon. Just not yet. Gotta make sure you’re warmed up to the bone.”
She sighed but nuzzled closer.
“My head hurts.”
“You’re probably dehydrated from all the running. As soon as it’s safe, I’ll go find something to drink.” Tea, maybe. Or, better yet, broth.
I hadn’t ever needed to stay in a Costa safe house before. But from what I could tell, it seemed like this one had been thoughtfully prepared. From the dryer sheets on the mattress to keep it fresh to the blankets in airtight bags to keep any bugs or smells out, someone had put thought into this. I was sure there were some nonperishables in the cabinets or freezer. Soup had to be one of them. I didn’t know how hypothermia affected the gut, so I didn’t know if food was a good idea. But the salt in the broth had to be smart.
“Anything else?” I asked.
“Sore. Everywhere.”
That might have been partially from the shivering, which was basically a full-body workout. Or, you know, it could be from running for her life through half of fucking Manhattan.
“Once I’m sure you’re good, I can get you something for that.”
“And my feet,” she said with a little whine.
“Wish I could say I can help your feet, but think staying off of them might be the only thing that helps. I can fix your hands once you’re warm enough, though.”
Steph pulled back slightly, pulling her arms up between us and staring at her palms.
“It’s alright,” I said when a strange whimper escaped her.
“My hands touched the ground,” she said, her face twisted in horror.
“Yeah. But not the sidewalk, at least,” I reasoned.
“Not much better.”
“We were pretty deep in there. Lower-traffic area. On an unrelated note, when’s the last time you had a tetanus shot?”
A snorting laugh escaped her at that.
“Maybe three years ago.”
“You’re set then. Look up at me,” I demanded, watching as her head lifted. Her lips no longer looked blue. There was a bloom of pink across her cheeks. “Looking better.”
She wet her dry lips, and it took every goddamn drop of self-control I possessed to keep my cock from going hard.
“You came for me,” she said, watching me with something deep in her eyes.
“Of course I did.”
“After I ran away from you.”
“Don’t matter. I was already in your apartment when you called.”
“Why? To keep me from going to the police?”
“No. To keep you safe.”
